Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said the Waqf (Amendment) Bill does not intend to interfere with the freedom of any religious body and that no provision of the Constitution has been violated. Responding to objections raised by several opposition members on the introduction of the bill in Lok Sabha, he said Waqf Act 1995 did not serve its purpose, hence the amendment was planned. Rijiju said a joint parliamentary committee had recommended that Waqf Act 1995 should be re-looked.

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The Congress is set to oppose the introduction of the bill to amend the law governing Waqf boards in the Lok Sabha, which is taking place on Thursday. The issue also was discussed at a meeting of the party's Lok Sabha MPs that was chaired by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Parliament House Annexe. | READ MORE

Opposition leaders staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday after chairman Jagdeep Dhankar did not allow them to raise the matter of Vinesh Phogat's disqualification from 2024 Paris Olympics.

After the tabling of the listed papers, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge raised the Phogat disqualification issue, saying that he wants to know "who is behind" it. However, Dhankar did not allow Kharge to raise the issue. | READ MORE

The Waqf Act, of 1995 was enacted to regulate 'auqaf' by a wakif. Later, it was amended in 2013 by the UPA government.

The Central Waqf Council is a statutory body under the administrative control of the Ministry of Minority Affairs and was set up in 1964 as per the provision given in the Waqf Act, 1954 as an Advisory Body to the Central Government on matters concerning the working of the Waqf Boards and the due administration of Auqaf.

The Waqf Act, 1954 was subsequently repealed and after new Waqf Act was passed in 1995 which gave more powers to Waqf Boards.

The state governments establish the State Waqf Boards, which work towards management, regulation and protect the Waqf properties by constituting district, mandal and other committees for the individual Waqf institutions.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, set for introduction in the Lok Sabha, aims at renaming the Waqf Act, 1995, as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.

The bill to amend the law governing Waqf boards has proposed far-reaching changes in the present Act, including ensuring the representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims in such bodies.

According to its statement of objects and reasons, the bill seeks to omit Section 40 of the current law relating to the powers of the Board to decide if a property is Waqf property.

It provides for a broad-based composition of the Central Waqf Council and the State Waqf Boards and ensures the representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims in such bodies, according to its statement of objects and reasons mentioned in a news agency PTI report.

The bill also proposes the establishment of a separate Board of Auqaf for the Boharas and Aghakhanis. The draft law provides for the representation of Shias, Sunnis, Bohras, Agakhanis and other backward classes among Muslim communities. | READ HERE: Waqf Bill Explainer

Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju has moved the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Lok Sabha.

As the Waqf Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha, the Opposition 'shamed' the Centre's move.

Opposing the Waqf Bill in Lok Sabha, Congress MP KC Venugopal said, "We are Hindus but at the same time, we respect the faith of other religions. This bill is specialized for the Maharashtra, Haryana elections. You do not understand that last time the people of India clearly taught you a lesson. This is an attack on the federal system."

"Through this bill, they are putting a provision that non-Muslims also be members of the Waqf governing council. It is a direct attack on freedom of religion...Next you will go for Christians, then Jains...People of India will not buy this kind of divisive politics now," Venugopal added.

DMK MP Kanimozhi said, "It is a direct violation of Article 30 which deals with minorities to administer their institutions. This bill targets a particular religious group."

JD(U) MP & Union Minister Rajeev Ranjan countered the Opposition and said, " How is it against Muslims? This law is being made to bring transparency...The opposition is comparing it with temples, they are diverting from the main issue....KC Venugopal (Congress) should explain how thousands of Sikhs were killed…which taxi driver killed Indira Gandhi? Now, they are talking about minorities."

NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule said that she "requests" the central government to withdraw the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. If not, she asked them to at least send it to a standing committe for scrutiny.

She also said that the opposition leaders found out about the bill from the media, asking what was this new way of informing others about a bill.

BJP MP Hema Malini told news agency ANI, "The opposition always opposes, that's their work. They label good things as bad. The PM has brought many good schemes but they say that all these things are wrong. I have also seen it from the last 10 years."

RSP MP NK Premachandran said, "You are totally disempowering the Waqf Board and the Waqf council...You are dismantling the system. It is against the principles of the Constitution. I caution the govt that if this law is put through judicial scrutiny then it will definitely be struck down."

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, "This bill violates the principles of Articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution. This bill is both discriminatory and arbitrary...By bringing this bill, you (the Central govt) are doing the work of dividing the nation not uniting it. This bill is an evidence of the fact that you are an enemy of the Muslims."

Opposing the Waqf Bill in Lok Sabha, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav said, "Yeh bill jo introduce ho raha hai woh bahut sochi samjhi rajneeti ke tehat ho raha hai (This bill has introduced as per a well-planned political strategy)...Speaker sir, I heard in the lobby that some of your rights are also going to be taken away and we will have to fight for you....I oppose this bill."

Reacting to SP MP Akhilesh Yadav's remarks, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "Akhilesh ji, is tarah ki golmol ki baat aap nahi kar skate..Aap nahi ho Speaker ke adhikar ke sanrakshak. (Akhilesh ji, you can't say such twisted things... You are not the protector of the Speaker's rights).

Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju said in the Lok Sabha that everyone in the House, will support the Waqf bill once they get to know everything about it.

Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju said, "With this bill, there is no interference in the freedom of any religious body....Forget about taking anyone’s rights, this bill has been brought to give rights to those who never got them...."

Haj Association of India chairman, A. Aboobucker, said, "On behalf of the Haj Association of India, New Delhi, we welcome this amendment as this Act is quite old. As per the current scenario, some amendments need to be made. Govt of India has taken a big initiative and we welcome that, there is no doubt."

"Some of the organisations and political parties, a few are opposing this at the pan India level. But, I think it will be good for women's empowerment and will help the poor people," he added.

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said,"...This bill being brought today is based on the report of Sachar committee (which called for reform) which you made (Congress)"

Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju said, "They (Opposition) are misleading Muslims...Till last night, Muslim delegations came to me...Many MPs have told me that the mafia has taken over Waqf boards. Some MPs have said that they personally support the bill but can't say it due to their political parties...We have held multi-layered country-wide consultations on this bill."

Speaking in Lok Sabha on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said it is "not right to associate Members of Parliament with any religion." He said it is his good fortune that being non-Muslim, he is getting opportunity to bring bill for welfare of Muslims.

"We are not saying that people of different religions should be made a part of Waqf board. We are saying that a Member of Parliament should be a member (of the Waqf board). Now, if the MP is a hindu or Christian, then what can we do about it.? Now, if an MP is added to Waqf Board by the virtue of him/her being an MP, then should we change the MP's religion?" Rijiju said.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju proposes sending the Waqf (Amendment) Bill to the Joint Parliamentary panel.

The government on Thursday informed Parliament that the Silkyara tunnel project contract has provision for construction of an escape passage. In a tragic event, 41 workers were trapped after a portion of the under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand collapsed on November 12, 2023. The workers were rescued on November 28.

"The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has included the clause to construct escape passage in the contract agreement of construction of 2-lane bi-directional Silkyara bend - Barkot tunnel on NH-134 as mandated by the Cabinet Committee," Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.